Charges dropped against Joaquin man accused of stealing from benefit for cancer patient

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office have dropped charges against a Joaquin man accused of taking money raised to benefit a cancer patient after he re-paid the money.

Court documents show two charges of exploitation of child against Johnie Foster Gamble IV were dismissed on Thursday.

Gamble was arrested in July following an investigation into a softball tournament held in August of 2016. He hosted the “Knocking Leukemia out of the Park” tournament in Joaquin and said all the proceeds would go to benefit a boy with cancer. However, none of those proceeds were given to help the boy as advertised, according to an arrest affidavit.

According to a press release from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Kevin Windham was contacted by the family of the child. The mother told Windham that there had recently been a softball tournament to raise money for her son that has cancer.

The mother told Windham that the tournament raised an estimated $1,000 that was to be used for the family's medical expenses, the press release stated. The money was to be put into a GoFund Me account.

When Windham spoke to Gamble, Gamble told him that he was not going to come to the sheriff’s office to give a statement. Gamble allegedly told Windham that he had not given the family the money because he was going to put himself and his family before others.

According to the signed motion to dismiss, Gamble completed an informal pre-trial diversion and made full restitution.

A pre-trial diversion is a method some courts use to put a suspect on probation terms without convicting them. If a suspect completes the diversion successfully, the charges are dismissed. If they do not, then the state moves forward with the charges.